I've been off the mat for a few days, this is how I get by :)

I've had so much idle time I decided to update the about me on my FB page, this is what I wrote. Big thanks to Eddie. I bought Jiu Jitsu unleashed when I first started doing bjj because I sucked at half guard. He seemed like a cool guy so I listened to him speak on TAGG radio (w/ Frank Trigg). When I heard he was friends with Joe Rogan I started listening to the JRE episodes with Eddie and Joe. I mostly only wanted to hear them talk about bjj and mma, but I couldn't fast forward in an effective way. Then, I started listening to all the other JRE episodes. I think i've learned more for the JRE than anything else. I'm really glad people like Eddie and Joe talk about what it is like to be a young man so openly. I feel like we get to start off from the point that took them years of hard work.


I see humans as the wild card in the universe. The card with the power of a second chance, where misfortune can be turned into the ultimate success in this cosmic game of chance we call existence.
I feel like I've always believed in the importance of human life because I think that one person has the power to positively impact the entire course of human history. We all have this power in us. I believe there is hope for every single individual on earth. I think every person is capable improving themselves to a point that was thought to be scientifically unattainable.

I am driven by an undying optimism. A full-fledged belief that good will prevail over evil, that right will triumph over wrong. That at our core, we are all good, beautiful and magnificent. Unfortunately we lose sight of this core. I have. But it is always there. I have learned that ridding yourself of the insecurities that prevent you from being kind and empathetic is the first step in the proper approach to every single problem I have faced.

I have never let the limits on the human body limit my belief in the power of the human spirit. I believe there is no limit to our courage and our determination. The human body gets its strength from the human mind. While we might not be that impressive physically, our control center makes us world beaters.

I think the most powerful fact about the universe is that we were given the ability to express the ideas in our consciousness with physical forms such as language, art, emotions, facial expressions and physical acts. I believe this ability evolved so that, for the first time, the universe can begin to understand itself. For the first time, the universe cannot be described by a set of physical laws. I believe we have the power to steer the nature and future of the cosmos.

I believe intelligent life is relatively common throughout the universe. With the advancement of technology, this mere speculation will one day prove to be common knowledge. I think that is the purpose of technology: to allow human beings to accurately understand the world and each other such that we will discover that we are all a part of the same universe, and that the universe is a part of us. When we see that we are all united, as I think we will, the evils that have plagued human existence will be a forgotten history. When we see the world, not as individuals, but as a species, injustice, hate and suffering will be among the first casualties.

I think humor is one of the most important human abilities. I think I'm hilarious. There is almost no point in any given day where I am not thinking about something funny. I haven't figured out the purpose of humor, but I don't know if humans could have survived on earth without it. I don’t think I could have.
I find genuine enjoyment in some of the most mundane things. One of my favorite things to do in the world is walking. Each step brings a different thought and connection to the world I live in and the body I have been born into. I have a close relationship with music and have formed some of my beliefs about the world based on the power of certain influential songs.

The single most important thing I have ever done is to seek an education. Initially, I might have been more concerned with degrees or prestige. But, at around 19 years old I set out on a journey to learn about the world and myself via the Bakersfield Community College Philosophy Department. I have been fortunate to discuss some of the great minds the world has ever known with professors that exemplify what an education should be. It hasn't been disappointing yet. My education has turned out to be something completely different than I ever expected. It has taken twists and turns that were often terrifying and unwelcomed. At almost every point in my education, I can point to people who believed in this journey so much more than me, they were willing to provide the resources and encouragement to a long haired Hispanic kid from a town so insignificant, it is left off any reputable map.

At this point, I think the most educational thing I can do is to take the time to know and understand the interesting people around me. Via the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, I have been fortunate to encounter some of the smartest and most fascinating people in the world. What is even more astounding is that without such technology, I would have never even known many of these people exist. This fact gives me nothing but eager anticipation to learn more about potential strangers that lie ahead in my path.
Thus far, I've made a lot of mistakes. Mistakes that at times seem irreconcilable with my faith in humanity. What's more, I realize that I am bound to make many more mistakes before my time on earth is up. To anyone who has ever suffered because of my choices or existence, I am truly sorry. Ultimately, my intention is that people who know me will be genuinely happy that I entered their lives. To anyone who has made me suffer, I forgive you. For me to not forgive the mistakes of others would be the definition of a hypocrite. Further, I know without such experiences, I never would have become the man that I am today. The only penance I recommend for mistakes is to be honest to yourself about the consequences of your actions and to analyze the moral worth of your character from an objective point of view. I believe this will yield more powerful results than any form of punishment.

I think we have only scratched the surface in terms of our knowledge about the universe. At this point in our short existence, our duty is not to find certainty, we cannot do that yet. Our duty is not to tell others how they should live their lives, we cannot do that yet either. But, we can encourage the pursuit of knowledge and foster the spirit of wonder in young minds. We can teach young people that they are valuable, not because they have a set of external qualities that will come and go during their lives, but because each of us is an equally important participant in the universe. All of our minds, works and contributions contribute to solidify our role in the universe. Through this collective effort, and after generations of advancement in technology, humans will be able to understand the universe on a level that was never thought to be attainable. Like I do as I write this, they will thank the generations that lived years and years ago when humans were limited to a flying rock in space called Earth so that the wonder and marvel of intelligent life could persist.

Beyond that, I have learned a fair amount about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. One day, I hope to teach others about the benefits of the martial arts.

English level: Expert.

Who are your primary influences philosophically? Just curious...

I guess Plato and Descartes. Also a good dose of Joe Rogan and Eddie Bravo

If this were a movie, I would be so tempted to make it turn out that way. However, as I’ve grown older, I’ve realized life is very different than what I thought it was. This brings up some very interesting possibilities. I think a very plausible is that the universe is completely different from what we’ve thought. It seems like things can appear to be very different depending on the sophistication of your lens. Our idea of the solar system and micro biology were radically altered by the introduction of the telescope and micro-scope. This oversimplified view of technology brings me to a scary point. I think it is a basic instinct of survival to think that the way we see the universe is the way the universe in fact is. A biochemist knows of a whole different world, one I am largely ignorant of. The same is true of the astrophysicist. The point is that there is still a good amount of the universe we have not been able to perceive and understand. One viable theory is that the universe is something of a simulation, or a matrix if you will. I can’t say we should rule this out as a possibility, but the world seems all too real to me when I stub my toe. But, I would have designed the system such that the participants never became aware that the world they experienced was not really real. I speculate about the facts that brought about this possibility. Maybe life on earth just got that bad. We could no longer sustain life in human bodies, so we made a mechanism that could preserve our consciousness. If this is true, I hope there is an exit strategy, because there seems to be an undying appeal to a physical world.
I think a different and equally fascinating theory is that we do live in the real physical world, but we haven’t yet developed the technology for seeing what there really is. I think this is coming and figuring this things out will advance human understanding immensely. What happens to us when we die? What are the physical processes that allowed for the birth of consciousness? When we have these answers, there will be some very difficult questions to answer. I think we will be back where this whole thing started. The most rational position is that this can all be explained in physical processes.

Dude, that was awesome. You spoke from the heart in a well articulated format, I admire that. Keep repping!

Whoa! That was ocean floor deep. Viviano, ur a bad mutha fucka, it's an extreme honor to have someone like you on our team!

Ps. How high were you when you wrote this? ;)

Thanks Eddie, it is an honor to be a part of the 10th planet family. I feel like a white belt again, there are so many new and innovated techniques to discover, Jiu Jitsu seems like magic again.

I've always had my suspicions about the mainstream, but I felt like I was stuck at that point in the Matrix where Neo had to choose between the blue and red pill. I was always too scared to risk mainstream acceptance.
I've learned so much cool shit from you already, but more than anything else, I learned that the truth is always more important. To me, that is the strongest commitment to Jiu Jitsu, not to let Jiu Jitsu only benefit you, but to leave Jiu Jitsu is as good of shape as when you found it. Jiu Jitsu has had such a positive impact on my life, I believe if everybody could experience it, this world would be a better place. For that to happen, Jiu Jitsu has to been known as the most effective martial art. Unfortunately, I feel Jiu Jitsu's place in the martial arts is in serious jeopardy. The real way to respect Jiu Jitsu is to find the areas of improvement. I'm so lucky to have stumbled upon all this, after 10 years of soldiers perfecting the system. I can't wait for what is to come. For me, this all starts with Gracie Nationals in Jan, and I hope 100 tournaments after that, until people see that you were right.

And yeah, I was high as shit when I wrote that. Turns out mainstream culture was lying about weed too :)

I agree with your point of view 100%. Its crazy that I can share a similar experience on the other side of the country. Except I didn't have anyone who I would consider a good teacher before I came across Eddies books. This was not just about martial arts and jj, but life in general. I started life with a thorough brainwashing. When I finally realized it, instead of feeling liberated and growing, I was just bitter and angry. It was another obstacle that took me years to overcome and it couldn't have been possible without amazing people I've met through 10p and the powerful JRE. I was the other way around. I found out about Joe through Eddie. The podcast has been an invaluable resource to me ever since, as has Eddie and this forum. If I had one wish, it would have been to be able to be introduced to them as a teenager instead of an arrogant, bitter, spiritual lost, and self delussioned adult. Regardless, I am thankful for my new view and eager to learn.

I also agree with Joe on technology being a tool to help us evolve our consciousness. Right now I believe the greatest tool man has ever created is the web. Unlimited access to information and other great minds, ideas, and philosophies is the only way we can continue to evolve as a species. The trick is to be able to do it before we use technology to destroy ourselves and planet. Technology has been, and still is, greatly misused for control of resources. And the greatest resource humans have, is other humans. So we have been controlled. Now those who are in control want to try to keep it by controlling information and the webz. Hopefully their attempt will be futile and we can continue to evolve together through kindness, love, and unity, and shed this illusion of separation.

I'm not sure how common intelligent, or any, life is in the universe, but I do believe it exists. I believe the physical universe is made purely from information and manifests itself through consciousness, via life. I believe that consciousness and omnipotent knowledge exist outside of what we call our 'dimension' and have no idea why it decided(?) to exist in the physical realm, but it probably created us to experience it. Doesn't matter. Our job is to live and learn in harmony with other life and the planet. Materialism, patriotism, greed, power, deception, and hate are all obstacles we self inflicted and need to overcome to take the next step. Unfortunately a shit ton has to change before that can be done, but fortunately conversations and viewpoints, like this one, are being had and shared more often than ever.

I also thank you for sharing Viv.

thank you my brother